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Has your Survivor experience been
all that you wished for? Were you there for
the adventure and the money or did you have hopes
that it would lead to a new career, any show business
aspirations?
John Carroll: The
Survivor experience has been more than I could have ever
have hoped for. Most of it I didn't expect.
The Post-Survivor fame has been a wild and crazy ride.
I love that I have had the opportunity to travel
throughout the country and meet all kinds of new people.
My cast and the previous casts have had the opportunity
to meet and hang out with each other and that has been a
lot of fun to do. The whole celebrity thing is a
very different animal altogether. It could all
easily go to one's head if one allowed it. I made
a decision very early on that I wanted to use whatever
fame and celebrity I attain for worthy and worthwhile
causes and I believe that I have done that.
I went for the adventure, however I wanted to WIN.
The money really wasn't that big of a deal. It was
the coveted title of sole Survivor that I was looking
for! I really wasn't looking to change my career
post-Survivor, however I did weigh all of my options and
after much soul searching I came to realize my legacy is
mine to create and I felt that by finishing law school
and standing up and fighting for my rights I would have
a greater sense of accomplishment than if I had moved to
Hollywood and pursued other projects.
What have you been up to since
Survivor Marquesas finished airing and what does the
future hold for you? I've heard that you are
returning to law school. Tell me about what
went into this career decision.
John Carroll: I
spent most of the summer touring the country either
raising money for awareness for gay and lesbian
organizations and raising money for HIV/AIDS. I
had a small role in a Britney Spears' video which was a
lot of fun to do and got to walk down a few red carpets
because of my time on the island and that was a lot fun,
awkward, but a lot of fun.
I made the decision to finish law school after spending
a month in LA weighing post-Survivor options. I
spoke to a number of agents, managers, publicists and
producers, however in the end it just didn't feel right.
My home state, Nebraska, is very conservative and it has
been a tough road for gays and lesbians. I made
the decision that I would not be chased out of Nebraska
because I was gay and that I would go back and finish
law school and try to make a difference. I even
had one misguided soul email me through my website and
tell me to move to NY or LA and let the straights have
the Midwest. So very confederate of him.
Which specialty of law do you hope
to work in? Any political ambitions?
John Carroll: Basically,
my decision to return was a political decision. I
want to understand the Constitution because, ultimately,
that is where equal rights for gays and lesbians will be
found. The blurring of the church and state has
made the fight for gay rights that much more difficult.
I am a Christian, however I do not want my religious
beliefs to have anything to do with the decisions that
affect government other than to protect my right to
worship however I choose.
You made a cameo in the Britney
Spears video, Boys, the second single off of the Austin
Power's soundtrack. How and why were you chosen for that
appearance?
John Carroll: The
producers were looking for celebrity cameos for the
video and they wanted people from film and television.
I was submitted with a few other celebrities and they
chose me along with Taye Diggs and Jason Priestley.
I hope he fully recovers from his accident. He had
some pretty extensive and life threatening if not life
altering injuries. As far as the shoot went, it
was a ton of fun and everyone was really cool and
laidback. I even got my own chair!
Which Survivor Marquesas
contestants have you kept in touch with the most and have
you bonded with Survivor alumni from other seasons?
Which ones?
John Carroll: I
have kept up with most at one time or another. We
have all settled into our lives again and as we go our
separate ways it is difficult to keep in touch as much
as we used to. I talk to Gabriel, Neleh, Boston
Rob and Tammy as much as possible and try to keep in
touch with the rest. I have met a number of the
other Survivors. Most of them are really cool and
fun to hang out with.
I recently hung out with Ethan and
Brandon and they were a ton of fun. They are very
united and bonded from their mutual experience. It
was interesting being on the outside looking in. I
appreciated their friendship and know what it must be
like for others that hang out with our cast. We
have shared a very unique experience and I can
understand the natural inclination to hang with those
closest to you from that experience.
You have always been a Survivor fan
and watched all the shows. How many times did you apply
before you were picked? Will you continue to watch?
Will you have time for Survivor activities and appearances
while attending law school?
John Carroll: I
am a HUGE fan. I applied to all four shows.
I almost made Africa, but was pushed back until
Marquesas. I will be very busy this Survivor
season. I will be reporting for KM3, the local CBS
affiliate, in the mornings and interviewing the bootees
as they come off in the afternoon. I will also be
working with Sweet 98, a top pop radio station, here in
Omaha, and and I will be doing the same thing for a
radio station up in Alaska!
Are you still happy and comfortable
with your vote for Vecepia as the Survivor Marquesas
champion? Any regrets?
John Carroll: I
am as happy as a non-winner can be I guess and I have no
regrets. I was simply outplayed. I hope they
do All-Star next summer. If they do and I get
invited, I would play a very different game.
Did you ever in a million years
think that someone so far under the radar and a member of
such a disorganized tribe coming into merge would be able
to win?
John Carroll: NEVER.
Vee not only was the sole Survivor, but she came through
the worst that the game gave her. I think in the
end it was a respect vote. She answered my final
question the best. I wiped the slate clean for the
final two and left it up to them to reach out and grab
the million. Neleh looks like she may have the
last laugh though. That girl is going to be a star
I tell ya. When I flew to SLC for the Rotu reunion
and saw Neleh for the first time since the island, I was
blown away by her poise and her presence. I have
run across a number of celebrities and Neleh has that
"star quality", Tammy and Gabriel have the
same quality in my mind. When they are on, they
shine and you can't take your eyes off of them.
Gabriel is still young enough that he can play and be
the adventurer and still find a way to capitalize on his
Survivor exposure. If I was ten years younger, I
think that I may have chosen a different direction.
I am 37 and it is time for me to make my mark in life
and with a law degree in hand I think that I may be able
to do that.
Do you feel that your alliance was
defeated by another "combined tribe alliance" or
by Mark Burnett and his strategy of using the "parang
swing" challenge in Episode 8 to out your secret
alliance, thereby shifting the power base of the merged
tribe?
John Carroll: I
think there are landmarks of defeat for our alliance.
First, if I could have hidden behind someone, here comes
some fodder for the John haters, I believe I would have
made it to the final four and would have had a legit
chance to win. Second, I think the swap was put in
place to save Gina. The swap is a planned event
from what we were told. I think the producers have
the luxury of determining when that swap will occur.
Third, lady luck was off doing God only knows what when
we stepped onto those wooden blocks. I came so
close to stepping on Sarah's. If I had done that,
I think that it would have been a very different game.
VERY different. Four, Gabriel quitting was the
beginning of the end for me. I gambled and lost by
aligning with him. I am a sucker for a pretty
face. Dammit, dammit, dammit!!! Ultimately, I gave
it my all. Luck helped and hurt me and ultimately
the game itself betrayed me. I believe the coconut
challenge may have been one of the best challenges ever.
I don't remember one challenge changing the game so
drastically. I think it is just a kicker that this
dude from Omaha was a part of all that!
Did you feel that the "purple
rock tie-breaker" was fair to Paschal?
John Carroll: Fair
is not the word I would use. I would use another
word, fate. Had Paschal stayed in the game longer.
I think he may have put his life in jeopardy. He
was seriously ill. If he wasn't such an
endurance athlete, I believe he may have been the first
Survivor casualty. I think that was a little
divine intervention. When he passed out, it scared
me like I have rarely been scared before.
Your 4 person alliance consisted of
yourself along with Tammy, Robert and Zoe. Did you
have a two person alliance with one of those other 3?
John Carroll: I
started with Gabriel. I wanted the strongest male
as an ally. I also wanted the strongest female player
next to me. They had it all, smarts, athletic,
charisma and were there to win at least at first.
Damn that Gabriel! :) Love ya brother!!
My alliance was not formed until Gabriel had jumped ship
and then the game was on for me.
If your alliance had made to the
final 4 how would you perceive it, in hindsight, as
playing out?
John Carroll: I
think that Zoe would have gone first and then Tammy and
I would have taken out The General. My
"perception" is that Tammy would have rather
have gone into the final two against me because I would
have been perceived as the rat.
Any comments on the new Survivor
Thailand cast? We haven't seen much of them so far
but are you drawn to any of them yet? Any standouts?
John Carroll: All
I will say is that this group baffles me. I like Penny,
I think she will be a very good FUTR, but not so under
that she won't get any airtime. I think that Robabuh
(Robb with two B's) choice of skateboard means that he
might be in Singapore sooner than he would like.
You have to remember that people may smile at you, but
first impressions last for a very long time and bringing
a skateboard in my mind lacks the kind of foresight that
I would want in an alliance. I guess it might make
a nice cutting board. I think that Ghandia will be
taking a shower sooner than she would like. I
think Shii Ann and Brian will be gone before the merge.
I have worked with many headhunters before and they
don't make money by being subtle. They get paid to
raid. Oh, hell, I am going to predict that Brian
goes fourth. Sorry Brian. I hope that I am
wrong. I think that Jed, Penny, Helen will be top
six. I am not sure about Ken yet. I am not
sure how well the NY accent will blend with all those
southerners. It's going to be NYPD Blue vs. The
Beverly Hillbillies out there I tell ya!! I think
there is gold in thar hills!! And what the hell
did they do to Jed's hair in the studio promos? He
looks like a lesbian.
With so many public service
contestants (police, fire/emt, navy, social worker) this
time around, how will this affect the choices the
contestants have to make regarding alliances or boots?
John Carroll: I
think that if Stephanie and Ken end up on the same tribe
they will either succeed or fail because of it. I
am not sure what to think of Tanya yet. She has
the kind of job that you just automatically respect her
for. I hope that she aligns correctly. I
have enormous respect for someone that has the kind of
empathy and compassion that she obviously possesses. I
think the only things that could harm or hurt her
chances pre-merge are illness or injury.
This cast seems a bit more
"racy" and "in your face" (outspoken),
or at least they are being edited that way to hype
the show; will Thailand truly turn into Temptation Island?
What is the 'in-game' thinking, from a contestant's
viewpoint, regarding extracurricular activities? That
seemed to help Rob to a point, in playing the game.
John Carroll: I
am already calling this Survivor: Anti-Marquesas.
I don't believe we will be seeing a love tribe.
Maybe a make-love tribe, but nothing like Rotu will rear
its lovey dovey head. I will be reporting for our
local affiliate. Hopefully, I can get them to
digitize my reports. I will let you know on the
19th about my pre-show predictions.
With another 'Under-the-radar'
winner again in Survivor Marquesas, do you think that
strategy will be finally shot down at first sighting this
time in Survivor-Thailand? Or will the Thailand
contestants miss it again?
John Carroll: FUTR
will always work unless the Alphas get together and
figure out that it will be far more interesting and more
prudent to oust the betas. But, it's like the
story of the scorpion and the frog. I am sure you
have heard it before? Sometimes we are who we are
no matter the danger before us.
One day a frog was hopping along a stream and all of a
sudden she heard someone speaking to her. "Hellooo
Ms. Frog!" called a scorpion about three feet away,
"Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your
back across the river?" "Well now, Mr.
Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you
wont try to kill me?" asked the frog
hesitantly. "Because," the scorpion replied,
"If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for
you see I cannot swim!" Now this seemed to make
sense to the frog. But she asked. "What about when
I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me
and get back to the shore!" "This is
true," agreed the scorpion, "But then I
wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the
river!" "Alright then...how do I know you wont
just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill
me?" said the frog. "Ahh...," crooned the
scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to
the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for
your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you
with death, now would it?!" So the frog agreed to
take the scorpion across the river. She swam over to the
bank and settled herself near the mud to pick up this
passenger. The scorpion crawled onto her back and the
frog slid into the river. The blue water swirled around
them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the
scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the
first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly
against the current. Halfway across the river, the frog
suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the
corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger
from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to
creep into her limbs. "You fool!" croaked the
frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you
do that?" The scorpion shrugged, as the kind frog
began to drown. "I could not help myself. It is my
nature." And that is why I would never align
with Mariano, he will always be a scorpion in the game.
I don't think the alphas could control themselves long
enough to do what they would need to do to save
themselves.
Paschal's age didn't seem to slow
him down until the very end in S4; with 5 of the
contestants 40 yrs +, do you think 'life experienced'
candidates will rise to the surface this time in S5?
John Carroll: Nope,
not during monsoon season. I think a couple of them will
hang in there, but they will be hurtin units once the
rains come.
Which background of the various
Survivor Thailand contestants seems most likely to
provide the crucible to nourish the Sole Survivor flame?
John Carroll: In
English please..... :) It really is a tough
call, but I will let you know on the 19th. All I
will say is keep your eye on Penny. She was a
cheerleader and has inhaled.
With a seemingly 'straight' cast in
Survivor-Thailand, do you think the 'flavor' of the
contestants characters will be diminished, or is this
'break' a reasonable expectation?
John Carroll: Please,
did you see Jed's hair in that promo? I haven't
seen that much blow dryer since the Rachel-do.
They may be straight, but a few of them look, gay, gay,
gay. :) That is good enough for me.
You have to remember that, they have had gay/lesbians
the first four seasons. Not everyone chooses to
come out and/or use Survivor as a platform. However, as
long as people stay in the closet things remain the
same. They remain the same today and they will
remain the same for the next generation of gay/lesbians
and that is very sad.
Is it important that gay
individuals be represented in all seasons of Survivor?
John Carroll: No,
that would be silly. We would be reduced to
token status if they did that, and I believe that Mark
makes a concerted effort to have as diverse a cast as
possible, but doesn't pander to let's get two blacks, a
lesbian and four people over forty. I think they
pick the 16 individuals that will provide the kind of
entertainment and drama that will sustain the series and
keep it as fresh as possible for as long as possible.
Each Survivor series seems to have
been focused by Mark Burnett on a particular theme; S1 -
'even big fat naked guys can win Survivor if you have
alliances', S2 - 'strong women and honor do prevail', S3 -
'old vs young generation gaps', S4 - 'religion and race
addressed head on'. Where do you think Mark Burnett is
going with this season's series....will it be all about
America's heroes to tap into the 911 patriotic ground
swell?
John Carroll: I
don't believe those themes are premeditated at all.
I thinks that is a reactive theory based on what happens
as the show unfolds and how is it is edited as it
happens. Who would have known that Sean would have
turned into Mini-Malcolm on the island? I have yet
to see that creature in person. Boston Rob was a
caricature of his own creation and he was in total
control of it, but out of the game one would find it
hard to believe he is the same person. If anyone
had told me that I would have gone after Gabriel like I
did, I would have called them delusional. I think
the producers hold their breath and cross their fingers
that people like myself, Rob and Sean show up. We
gave them some good television to put together, but in
the end we were more than our sound bites and that is
what ultimately made it as good as it was.
The recent Survivor previews &
promos have suggested things will be completely changed
this time around. Of course we hear that every season, but
what changes, as suggested by the teasers, will actually
come to pass....in particular the entry and apparent
initial splitting of contestants according to sexes?
John Carroll: I
don't think that is how it will actually start. It
is season five, they need to throw us something to keep
us interested. They could all be asleep in the
promos and I will still be sitting in front of my
television at 6:55 with remote control and videotape in
hand. I think there will be some serious changes
that will render the first four weeks or so moot.
The game will not truly begin until halfway through
because of the twists and turns.
Do you foresee even more rule
changes beyond the 'purple rock' and the 'negotiable
Immunity Idol' (which never saw fruition)?
John Carroll: I
have no idea what is up their sleeve, but it will be
good and it will piss off the players and that will be a
lot of fun to watch. moo-ha-ha. I did email Mark
with an idea of having a double reward challenge.
The first reward they know about, the second they find
out after they vote out the 5th person and find out they
get to and have to pull somebody back into the game off
of the jury. They would need to add an extra week,
but there is plenty of time for them to do that and I am
sure they would enjoy the extra revenue.
Survivor is truly the standout in
the "reality-tv" genre of programming. How
long can Survivor survive?
John Carroll: Until
everyone in the country has had a chance to outwit,
outplay and outlast each other I hope!!!
I am hoping they do the All-Star. I would love the
opportunity to go up against some of the other hardcore
players from seasons past.
Thank you very much for your time,
John, and best of luck at law school.
Final words from John Carroll: Thanks for
the great questions!! Can't wait for the
nineteenth!! I will be traveling
with the Citizens for Equal Protection and conducting
some town hall meetings to discuss the plight of gays
and lesbians in my home state which unfortunately is one
of the most conservative in the union. It is my
hope to meet with people and to talk about who we are
and more importantly who we are not. My ultimate
goal is to make sure that gays and lesbians in Nebraska
have the same rights and privileges that our straight
brethren were born into.
After attempting to become a member of the first, second,
and third Survivor program, John Carroll finally
won a spot on the fourth Survivor show among 16 other
people on the tiny island of Marquesas. An openly gay
registered nurse from Omaha, Nebraska, Carroll joins an
ever-growing cast of gay individuals on primetime
television. Proving himself a worthy opponent, he lasted
24 days and was the eighth person voted off the island.
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